Cigarette case



March 26, 1935. w. R. LARTER CIGARETTE CASE Filed Sept. 26, 193

Patented Mar. 26, 1935 i v UNI-TED s rATEs PATENT oFFicE Warren E. Larter, South Orange, N; J., assignor to Latter &'Sons, Newark, N. J., a corporation of NewJersey Application sept m'berzs, 1933, Serial No. 690,977

* 2 claims; (o1.'20c-41) I This invention relates ingeneralto receptacles Figure 7 is a similar view showing the case or cases and more particularly to a case for open, and cigarettes to be carried inthe pocket onhandbag Figure 8 is a detached perspective view of the of the owner. spring strip for the hinge.

- One object of theinvent'ion is to provide a case "Specifically describing the illustrated embodiof this character which shall embody a novel ment of the invention, the case includes two and improved construction and combination of body sections 1 and 2 which are preferably rectwo complemental body sections and a latch sectangular in planview. Each section hasa contion, hingedly. connected together whereby the cave side, and the sections are arranged in super- 1" necessity for the usual spring catch or snap latch posed relation with their edges abutting so as to shall be eliminated, the, case shall be simple in complement each other in forming the body of construction, attractiveinappearance and easy the case. v and convenient to open and close. Each body section is hingedly connected at one Another object is to provide such a case Whereedge along one side to the corresponding side of in said body sections shall be c'oncave'and each the other body section, andas shown, the body 15 shall be hingedly connected along the edge at sections have a plurality of integralhinge tubes one side to the corresponding side of the other 3 and 4 respectively which are arranged'in axial by a spring hinge the normal tendency of which alinement with each other and in alternate relais to swing said sections apart, and whereinsaid tion longitudinally of the edges of the sections. latch section'shall be hingedly connected by a Within the hinge tubes is arranged'a fiat spring spring hinge to one section at the side thereof opstrip 5 which ha'sone end soldered or otherwise posite the hinge connection between said body fixedly connected to onev section as at 6 and its sections and shall overlie the other body section other end fixedly connected to the other'section to hold said sections together to close the case, at 7. This spring strip serves as the pintle for r whereby said case can be opened by simply swingthe hinge connection and is placed under torque 25 ing said latch section away from the body section so that it normally tends to swing the body secso as to permit said body sections to spring apart. tions apart into the position shown in Figure 3 Other objects are to provide a case of the charso as to open the case. acter described which shall include a novel and The body sections are held together so as to 7 improved cigarette holder for clamping the close the case by a latch section 8 which is hinged- 30 cigarettes between itself and one body section, 1y connected to the edge of one of the body secsaid holder to be pivotally connected to the case tions along the side thereof opposite the hinge under the influence of the spring of said hinge connection between the body sections. As shown, connection between the body sections, whereby the hinge connection of the latch section 8 with the structure shall be simple and inexpensive; the body section, in the present instance the sec- 35 and to obtain other advantages and results as tion 1, comprises a plurality of hinge tubes. 9'0n will be brought out by the following description. the latch section which are disposed in alternate Referring to the accompanying drawing in relation and coaxially with hinge tubes 10 on the which corresponding and like parts are designated body section, and a flat spring strip 11 disposed it) throughout the several views, within the hinge tubes and rigidly connected at Figure 1 is a plan view of a cigarette case emone end 12 to the body secton and at its other bodying my invention with portions broken away end 13 to the latch section. The spring strip and shown in section. 11 is placed under torque so as to normally in- Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View fluence the latch section into overlying and conthrough the case taken on the line 22 of Figtacting relation to the body section 2 so as to ure 1. hold the body sections together as shown in Figure 3 is a similar view showing the case Figures 1 and 2. The latch section is of such open. shape and dimensions as to lie flat upon the ex- Figure 4is avertical longitudinal sectional view terior surface of the section 2 with the free end on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. r of the latch section remote from the hinge con- Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional nection of the latch section with the'section 2 view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. the latch lever and complex difi'icultly operable Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse coengaging hooks and lugs commonly used in sectional view through the hinge connection be-v latches are eliminated. tween two body sections showing the case closed. With this construction, and assuming the case 55 to be closed as shown in Figure 2, in order to open the case it is simply necessary to swing the latch section upwardly away from the body section 2 as shown in Figure 3, whereupon the spring hinge connection between the body sections will swing the body sections apart to open the case. To close the case the body sections need merely to be pressed together and the latch section allowed to swing into contact with the body section 2 under the influence of its hinge spring 11.

The latch section eliminates the necessity for the usual troublesome and complicated spring catch or snap latch, and the possibility of the case accidentally opening by releasing of the catch or latch is greatly reduced. The tendency of' the body sections to spring apart is effectually restrained by the close proximity of the free edge of the body section 2 to the hinge connection of the latch section with the body section 1, and only slight spring resistance from the hinge spring 11 is necessary to hold the case closed.

It is desirable that the case be provided witha holder for clamping cigarettes securely against movement in the case, andlfor this purpose, I may provide a holder 14 having one end iii-connected to the hinge spring so that said spr ng normally influences the holder toward the body section 1 to hold cigarettes A between the holder and the body section. The holder has a pivotal action against the torque resistance of the hingespring and may be swung upwardly into the position shown by dot and dash lines in Figure 3 to permit removal of the cigarettes from the case. 'To connect the holder to the hinge spring, certain of the hinge tubes are cut away inwardly of the case as indicated at 17.

The invention provides an, attractive case which is simple and inexpensive in construction and easy and convenient to open and close. While I have shown the invention-as embodied in certain details of construction it should be understood that this is primarily for the purpose of illustrating the principles: of the invention and that the details of structure may be modified and changed by those 5 'lled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the inven-.

tion. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A cigarette case comprising two rectangular complemental body sections each having at the edge of one side a plurality of hinge tubes in alinement with and in alternate relation to the hinge tubes of the other section, a flat spring strip extending through said hinge tubes and rigidly connected at each end to one of said sections so that said sections are normally swung apart, theportions of adjacent hinge tubes within said casing being cutaway to form an opening, a cigarette holder between said sections having one end in said opening and bent around said spring strip so that sad holder is normally yieldingly influenced by said spring strip toward one section to clamp, cigarettes between the holder and said section,'-and'latchmeans for normally holding said sections together to close the case.

2. A case comprising two rectangular complemental concave body sections to be arranged in superposed relation with their edges at all sides abutting, a spring hinge connection between the edge at one side of each body section and the corresponding'side of the other section so that said sections are normally swung apart to open the case, a latch section, and a spring hinge connection between said latch section and the edge of one of'said body sections opposite said ,hinge connection between said body sections, for *normally yieldingly influencing said latch section into overlying relaton to the other body-section to .hold the case closed, the latch section lying fiat upon the exterior of said body section and its free end being remote'from said spring hinge connection between said latch'section and said body section.

I WARREN R; LARTER. 

